Every two years the Industry and Business Association Schaffhausen ( IVS ) and the ITS Industry and Techno Center Schaffhausen host the IVS Innovation Prize of the Schaffhauser Platzbanken . It is awarded to companies from the Schaffhausen economic area for developing and successfully placing an innovative product on the market. Criterion for awarding the prize are, among other things, the profitability and the economic potential of the innovation.
This year 23 companies competed for the award. Among them, TTS Inova from Thayngen SH won the prize and a prize money of 10,000 francs, the IVS informed in a message. The family company, which specializes in trimmings and technical textiles, was awarded for an elastic geothermal probe. “Our product is food-compliant, so it can also be used in areas where you would otherwise not be able to install a geothermal heat pump,” owner Simon Bernath is quoted in the press release.
The young company Imnoo from Buchberg SH came second with its artificial intelligence-based application for milled and turned parts. “Calculating technical parts is time-consuming and requires a great deal of specialist knowledge, which usually only a few people in the SME – and not infrequently only the managing director himself – has”, explains Inmo co-founder Jonas Albergatti.
Savvy Telematic Systems AG took third place with its sensor for rail transport wagons. In the last competition in 2019, the company from the canton capital won first prize for a sensor for automatic flat spot detection in rail transport. The Tanne Schaffhausen restaurant received a special award for its ethical and ecological business model.
The results of the first working phase of the model city project were noted and discussed by the representatives of the 13 participating municipalities. According to a media release from the city of Baden , the municipalities' figures and data compiled in four working groups were analyzed and assessed. The further procedure in the 2nd project phase was also decided.
The 13 municipalities of the model city include Baden, Birmenstorf, Ehrendingen, Ennetbaden, Fislisbach, Gibstorf, Mägenwil, Mellingen, Neuenhof, Oberrohrdorf, Obersiggenthal, Turgi and Wettingen.
In the discussion on authorities, administration and organization, considerable differences between the municipalities were found, according to the press release. In the area of finance, it was determined, among other things, that the tax income per inhabitant in the model city in 2019 was 14 percent above the Aargau average. It is also assumed that the debt in the model city communities will increase significantly on average in the financial planning period up to 2025 due to high investments.
In the case of health, society and social affairs, simple and immediate reorganization or reorganization are hardly possible due to the complexity. But cooperation is feasible. The analysis of settlement development, spatial planning and mobility showed that the consolidation of the municipalities would not contribute to a cost reduction overall. Increased efficiency is also possible today.
For the second phase of the project, it was decided to continue working on three topics from phase 1. In cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), a “talent pool” is to be developed which enables learners to continue to be employed in one of the 13 model communities after completing their apprenticeship. The other projects are regionalization of tax offices and the development of a joint solution for refugee care. In the second phase, there will be a joint IT infrastructure, model planning for a sub-area of land use planning, and coordination of the development prognoses for the number of pupils as well as school space planning and school buildings.
The first Swiss hydrogen hub is to be built in the port areas of Birsfelden and Muttenz. According to a press release, four partner companies have agreed on this. Swiss Rhine ports , the energy company Varo , the filling station operator AVIA and the Basel energy supplier IWB have signed a joint declaration of intent for the construction of such a hydrogen node. As a green energy carrier, hydrogen will play an important role in the CO2-neutral future, according to the press release.
The four partners from the energy industry and logistics see the ports of Muttenz and Birsfelden as ideal locations for a hydrogen hub, according to the joint media release published by Varo. The H2-Hub Schweiz project should include the production, distribution and use of hydrogen. The plans envisage not only distributing the hydrogen with the existing infrastructure, but also producing, storing and making available the green energy on site. The tank storage company AVIA AG and the energy company Varo Energy Holding AG are already active in the Rhine ports.
IWB (Industrielle Werke Basel) produces and sells renewable and CO2-neutral energy as electricity, heating and cooling and for mobility. According to the announcement, IWB founded GreenH2 AG together with the petrol station operator and AVIA member company Fritz Meyer AG. The company is to build hydrogen production plants.
Applications of hydrogen will soon be tested in the H2 hub Switzerland as a fuel for trucks, trains, other road vehicles and ships.
The Federal Council is in favor of abolishing the imputed rental value. He recommends Parliament to respond to a corresponding submission by the Commission for Economy and Taxes of the Council of States ( WAK-S ), informs the Federal Council in a communication . At the same time, however, the Federal Council advocates three changes to the bill.
According to the Council of States commission, the imputed rental value should only be abolished for owner-occupied residential property at the place of residence. In return, expenses and in particular mortgage interest for real estate should no longer be tax-deductible.
The Federal Council, on the other hand, also wants to abolish the imputed rental value on second properties. Expenses and debt interest should continue to be tax deductible if they are used on real estate used to generate income, such as renting. In addition, the Federal Council proposes that tax incentives for energy-efficient renovations be retained until 2050. In the proposal, this is linked to the CO2 law, which was rejected by the electorate.
The Swiss Homeowners Association (HEV) agrees with two of the three demands of the Federal Council. He was “delighted” that the Federal Council “confirmed the urgent need for trade to abolish imputed rental value taxation,” writes the umbrella association of homeowners and landlords in a message . Like the Federal Council, the HEV is in favor of partially maintaining the debt interest deduction and linking the promotion of energy-efficient renovation to the 2050 climate target. However, the abolition of the imputed rental value of second properties has already met with strong rejection from the “tourism cantons” in the past, writes the HEV.
The canton of Lucerne was also able to attract new companies in the 2020 pandemic. According to a report by the Lucerne Economic Development Agency, a total of 19 companies have settled in the canton. Eight settlements came from abroad. The five immigrants from Great Britain stand out in particular. The other three foreign companies came from Germany, Poland and Slovakia. Overall, they want to create 329 jobs in the canton in the next three to five years, it is said.
Even founders were not intimidated by the pandemic. If the whole of Switzerland is taken into account, the number of start-ups even rose to a record level in 2020. In the canton of Lucerne, too, the number of start-ups increased by 11.1 percent compared to the previous year, as the report shows. The Lucerne Economic Development Agency supports you in the initial phase, for example with start-up courses.
Ivan Buck, Director of the Lucerne Economic Development Agency, speaks of an overall “challenging, but nevertheless successful” year. He is also pleased with the results of a satisfaction survey. This was carried out at over 200 companies as well as cantons and municipalities. Compared to the last survey three years ago, satisfaction could be increased at all levels. "A new record of 175 network partners rounds off this wonderful result," said Buck.
In the opinion of the Federal Council, Switzerland as a start-up location is generally well positioned. In some areas, however, there is still room for improvement. The Federal Departments of Economic Affairs, Education and Research and of Justice and Police are now to examine measures on behalf of the Federal Council with which the location could be further strengthened.
According to a communication , the Federal Council sees potential for improvement in the areas of technology transfer, internationalization, access to skilled workers and financing. He also emphasizes that “numerous states have launched extensive programs to support start-ups in recent years”. He therefore also wants to have the advantages and disadvantages of a Swiss innovation fund examined comprehensively. In particular, it should be made clear to what extent such a fund could expand the risk capital market in Switzerland and thus improve the growth opportunities of innovative companies.
The cantons of central Switzerland also attracted many new companies during the pandemic, according to an article in the “Luzerner Zeitung”. Uri has helped 16 companies set up in the canton. As Stefan Büeler, Head of the Office for Economics and Public Transport at the canton of Uri, explains in the article, he sees the canton on track to be able to achieve a similar number again in 2021. The canton benefits from major projects such as the Altdorf cantonal railway station, the cantonal hospital, the construction of the second Gotthard tube and the tourist development in Andermatt.
Meanwhile, the canton of Schwyz recorded a record number of start-ups last year. Urs Durrer, head of the office for economy of the canton Schwyz, attributes this in the article to successful settlements. The establishment of the American software company Palantir was a great success. Overall, there are currently more settlement projects to be managed than before the pandemic, said Durrer.
The canton of Lucerne settled 19 companies last year. The canton of Zug sees itself back at pre-crisis level when it comes to settling in. The canton of Nidwalden did not experience any slump during the pandemic.
During the pandemic, numerous settlement projects could be prepared, which are now being implemented, as several business promoters emphasize in the article. For example, many international companies had their settlement projects that they had to postpone due to the pandemic implemented in the first half of 2021, says Reto Sidler, media spokesman for the Greater Zurich Area . The location marketing organization and its member cantons – Schwyz, Zug, Uri and six other cantons – were able to relocate 55 companies from abroad last year.
The canton of Zurich wants to reduce the heat load in the canton’s settlement areas. To this end, the canton is making a new website called Heat in the settlement area available, informs the canton administration in a message . The site offers an interactive tool with which the current climate situation for any area can be analyzed. The website also has recommendations and specific measures against overheating for any further development of the selected area.
In addition, examples of climate-adapted settlement development are presented on the new website. 18 possible measures are shown with which the climatic situation in urban planning, buildings and open spaces can be improved.
The canton also provides a digital application that can be used to examine and visualize measurement data on the air temperature from around 50 locations in the canton, explains the cantonal administration. For this purpose, the application is based on a measuring network operated by the cantonal office for waste, water, energy and air for two years. The digital tool is intended to contribute to a better analysis of heat waves and the effect of urban development measures on heat reduction.
The canton of Zurich has secured the administration of the top-level domain .zuerich. The Internet extension will be available to companies and organizations based in the canton from August 30, the cantonal office for economy and labor ( AWA ) informs in a message . With .zuerich, “the canton wants to position the largest economic area in Switzerland clearly and unmistakably in the digital space and in international competition between locations,” explains the AWA.
About .zuerich, companies could “benefit from the excellent reputation of the Zurich brand”, according to thewebsite set up by the canton for the new top-level domain. According to her, the canton of Zurich provides “the greatest economic output and added value in Switzerland”. A .zuerich Internet extension thus strengthens one’s own brand and at the same time indicates that it is anchored in the economic area.
As the registry operator, the canton is responsible for the quality and security of the top-level domain. Sales and support are the responsibility of a number of accredited domain providers. A list of providers and all other information required for registration is provided on the website set up by the canton.
The branch of the Coop Group Marktgass Bern has a total sales area of 2100 square meters, informs the retail cooperative from Basel in a message . Since May, customers have been able to use the upper floor with a supermarket, a beauty island, a vinotheque and a beer and beverage world. Now the ground floor of the listed building has also been completely converted. Here Coop has set up a coffee bar with its own roastery, a bakery, a kiosk and various services.
"The result is a piece of jewelry that leaves nothing to be desired and enriches the shopping offer in the city center," File Gjokaj is quoted in the press release. The managing director of the Marktgass Bern branch also points out the open kitchen area in the coffee bar: “A lot is homemade and prepared right in front of the customer's eyes.” All products are available both to take away and for consumption on site.
In the future, “in the Coop Marktgass Bern, shopping will also meet movement”, the announcement further explains. A fitness update will be available in the basement in September. Around 1,400 square meters of space are available for this.
The Aargau government council has presented the task and financial plan for the years 2022 to 2025. It also provides for measures to increase the attractiveness of the business location, including the settlement of new companies. According to the government's embassy, Aargau and its advantages should be made better known to companies abroad. "That is why additional measures should be examined and implemented in this area in order to increase the density of companies in Aargau in the long term."
When it comes to settling in, the canton wants to concentrate primarily on the sectors in which it is already strong today, namely the life sciences and the energy industry. The focus is on industrial companies and industry-related service providers who rely on a highly qualified workforce. The aim is to locate between twelve and 14 companies each year, including six to eight in the two focus industries. In the past year five companies were relocated, three of them in the focus industries. The acquisition strategy is to be developed next year and applied in a selected market from 2023.
According to the embassy, it will be checked as early as 2022 whether the canton should join an existing cross-cantonal organization of location marketing. The canton was one of the founders of the Greater Zurich Area (GZA) in 1999, but later left it. Today, GZA is the largest location marketing organization with nine German and Italian-speaking member cantons, including the three neighboring cantons of Aargau: Solothurn, Zug and Zurich. Aargau also borders the Basel Area Business & Innovation , to which the two Basel cantons and the Jura belong.
With Lucerne, Nidwalden and Obwalden, the Aargau is only one of four cantons that do not belong to any cross-cantonal organization of location marketing. Western Switzerland is organized in the Greater Geneva Bern area , the four cantons of Eastern Switzerland in the St.GallenBodenseeArea .
Together with the City of Lucerne,the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts is testing the potential of augmented reality (AR) in urban planning. To this end, the university has developed an AR visualization of possible redesign measures in Bahnhofstrasse and Theaterplatz. For example, the projected second row of trees, the new Velostation and the mobile seating including planting could be experienced visually, according to a press release from the university.
The research groups Visual Narrative from the Department of Design & Art and Immersive Realities Research Lab from the Department of Computer Science as well as the Civil Engineering Department of the City of Lucerne were involved in the joint project. It has now been presented to the media. Presentations for the general public will follow on three days in September.
The AR visualization can be used on common tablets. The real environment appears on the display with virtual objects projected over it. Planned structural interventions can be viewed three-dimensionally and spatially. “Users can experience on site how Bahnhofstrasse could be designed and used in the future without any real structural or other interventions being necessary,” project manager Tobias Matter is quoted in the press release.
This would give all decision-makers from different areas the opportunity to take an uncomplicated and active part in the planning. In contrast, plans, models and specialist vocabulary are not immediately understandable for everyone. “The immersive visualization technology of augmented reality can thus be an effective tool to inform the public more transparently about construction and renovation projects, to encourage their participation in the planning and ultimately to create more acceptance for such projects among all those involved,” said Matter .
A new quarter is to create the connection between Suhr Süd and the center. In addition to a twelve-story high-rise, three four- to six-story buildings are being built. Schlieremer Halter AG is responsible for project development and implementation, according to a media release . The foundation stone was laid on Wednesday.
The quarter is being built on an area formerly used by Ferroflex AG. There will be areas for living, services and commerce. Public open spaces with paths and squares, a children's play area and a barbecue area are planned between the buildings. In the high-rise and in the so-called garden house, 59 apartments with 2.5 to 5.5 rooms will be built as residential property. 143 rental apartments are being built in the other two buildings.
The development project will be implemented according to the objectives of the 2000 Watt Society. District heating from the Buchs AG waste incineration plant is used to generate heat. Solar systems will provide some of the electrical energy required.
The Langmatt Foundation, together with the city of Baden and the canton of Aargau, launched the Museum Langmatt – general renovation project. A total of 50 architectural offices took part in a competition, six of which were invited to the second round. Their designs show a pavilion in the park and a new entrance area for the museum. They will be exhibited in the museum from August 28th, according to a media release.
At the center of the exhibition is the winning design by Ernst Niklaus Fausch Partner AG . Their pavilion creates a visual connection to the utility building without actually being connected to it. The pavilion is to be used for vernissages and other events. The new entrance area is being built in the utility building and includes the cash register, a shop or the cloakrooms.
"We are pleased about the substantial improvements in future use", Langmatt director Markus Stegmann is quoted in the message. “With the new pavilion and entrance area, Langmatt is excellently positioned for the future. With its strong visual presence, the transparent pavilion symbolizes the new Langmatt for everyone. "
The building permit for the new housing estate called Unity in the municipality of Menziken has become legally binding. Steiner AG can then start construction work.
As the Zurich developer as well as a total or general contractor notifies , six apartment buildings with 47 condominiums and 51 parking spaces will be created close to the station as a whole. The canton-protected Villa Zur Eintracht, which was built in 1811/12, will blend in harmoniously with the overall situation.
Steiner is thus making a contribution to the promotion of affordable housing. A functional design can be built in a cost-optimized manner. Among other things, uniform windows in all buildings, minimized living space and standardized wet rooms in all apartments contribute to this.
Graubünden wants to increase the demand for recycled building materials. As the Canton now tells , he has to this end, together with the Association of Grisons concrete and gravel industry developed a brochure. It is intended to show project developers and building owners the possibilities of using recycled building materials.
Every year around 250,000 cubic meters of mineral construction waste are delivered to the 42 processing stations in the canton of Graubünden. That corresponds roughly to the volume of 1,300 single-family houses. As the canton further explains in its announcement, concrete demolition is already being recycled and used in new concrete structures.
However, mixed demolition and road pavement are often not returned to equivalent circular applications, but are used loosely, for example in foundations or deposited in landfills. That is neither ecologically nor economically sensible. That is why the message passed by the government on the Green Deal Action Plan provides for measures to close material cycles and to increase the recycling of building materials.
What is often missing is the demand for these recovered building materials. In terms of price, they would be on par with the primary materials. They also offer the added value of a sustainable use of resources. However, it is often overlooked that building materials are also polluted with CO2. The brochure now presented shows "for all conceivable applications in civil engineering which recycling products can be used".
The study “Ready for Climate Change?” By the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) aims to sensitize building owners to building climate-friendly. But it should also help buyers and tenants to evaluate a property.
The study suggests that in the future not only heating, but also cooling concepts will have to be taken into account. "The architecture of Switzerland is still too focused on making apartments pleasant and energy-efficient in winter", Gianrico Settembrini from the Institute for Building Technology and Energy at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences is quoted in a media release. The decisive factor, however, is that buildings are planned with future climate data and not, as is the case today, with data based on past values.
The building stock consumes around 40 percent of Switzerland's final energy requirements, the HSLU continues. This must be further reduced. However, if the increased use of air conditioning equipment were necessary, this value could instead increase even further. "The use of cooling or air conditioning devices should be avoided, technical solutions may only be used when the passive options have been exhausted," says Adrian Grossenbacher from the Federal Office of Energy . It provided financial support for this study.
In total, the study team identified eleven parameters that have an impact on energy consumption as well as the thermal and visual comfort of a living space. These parameters, such as the properties of the windows, sun protection and shading elements, were simulated in a reference building in Basel-Binningen, which is typical for the Mittelland.
The HSLU provides guidelines for planners online for download . In order to accelerate the precipitation of available knowledge in the new architecture, the university will bring experts up to date with the three-day advanced training course “Building in Climate Change – Effective Measures for Builders and Planners” in September.
The Swiss real estate market continues to pick up. As reported by the Federal Statistical Office , the Swiss residential property index rose by 2.2 percent in the second quarter of 2021 compared to the previous quarter. At the end of June it stood at 105.3 points. The value of 100 was reached in the fourth quarter of 2019. Compared to the second quarter of the previous year, inflation was 4.7 percent.
In all types of municipalities nationwide, prices for both single-family houses and condominiums rose compared to the previous quarter, with single-family homes by 2.6 percent and condominiums by 1.8 percent. The increase in single-family houses with an increase of 4.6 percent was particularly pronounced in rural communities. Condominium prices rose the most in the intermediate communities, by 2.9 percent.
The design plan for the Obertor area was drawn up in a cooperative process with the participation of interest groups from the old town, representatives from the people's initiative for Obertor, the landowners, the city council and the city administration, the administration of the city of Winterthur informs in a message . According to her, the city council of Winterthur has now approved the design plan. Objections can be raised until October 12th.
Shops, offices and apartments are to be built on the approximately 6,500 square meter area in the old town. The design plan provides for different uses for the individual properties. Shops on the ground floor and apartments on the upper floors are planned for the buildings at Obertor 11 and 13. The historical inventory of the building at Obertor 17 is intended to be used to furnish offices. In the court properties Obertor 15 and 17a, the establishment of an innovative mixed use of residential and commercial is planned.
At Badgasse 6, the concept aims to use wellness based on what was once the so-called bathtub mosque, is further explained in the communication. If this turns out to be impractical in practice, renting a health center, for example, will be considered as an alternative. The inner courtyard between Obertor and Badgasse is to be made accessible to the public as a “green island”.
The made-to-measure and numbered steel profiles are assembled like a modular system.
Set up within a very short time: the substructure was up in just half a day.
View of the walk-in ceiling of the lounge. Thanks to RiModul®, the area can also be used.
View from the new lounge into the high-bay warehouse.
In a short time, an optimally used room was created that meets the highest noise and fire protection requirements.
In the Coop distribution center in Gossau, employees now have a comfortable lounge.
The drywall builder was challenged: an extensive electrical and ventilation installation as well as a sprinkler system were to be integrated. A fire protection value of REI60 was also required. Since he had already completed product training at Rigips AG and knew the advantages of the new system, the case was clear: RiModul ® . The architect was also quickly convinced: "We had also checked the wood variant, but we reached the limits of the spans and would not have complied with fire protection," says Peter Fässler from MFW Architects. In addition, the slim wall constructions provide more usable space.
Walk-in room-in-room solution Coop had been considering building a comfortable lounge for its employees for a long time. A good 5 meter high room, a kind of gallery, which is also adjacent to other rooms, was ideal for this purpose. But it would have been much too big, with its sand-lime brick walls, not comfortable and not heated. A room-in-room solution therefore offered itself, which could be implemented quickly, without a lot of dirt, but in compliance with all statics and fire protection requirements. Because the assembly took place while the high-bay warehouse was in operation, everything had to be well prepared and done quickly.
Only half a day for the substructure As with all construction systems with a high degree of prefabrication, precise planning data and error-free transmission to the manufacturer were decisive. All steel profiles were cut to size and provided with the screw and punch holes to facilitate on-site assembly. The individual profiles could be efficiently screwed together using numbers and an assembly plan. Thanks to the corresponding planking, the entire construction has a fire protection rating of REI60. Plasterer Hansjörg Alder was enthusiastic: "The steel structure was in the distribution center in just half a day, and within three days it was planked and ready for expansion." You don't notice the stylish room and its quality of stay that it was delivered as a kit and set up within a very short time.
Like lightweight construction, simply much more stable RiModul ® is actually nothing more than lightweight construction with stronger profiles. They achieve the best possible ratio of strength to weight, which among other things leads to dimensionally stable constructions – that is, walkable and resilient ceilings with additional usable area – and increased seismic resistance (earthquake security). And the system is based on the principle of prefabrication, which can reduce the overall construction time by up to 60%. RiModul ® lightweight steel construction systems also result in significantly lower loads on the foundations than conventional construction methods. Complex objects in new construction and renovation can thus be realized safely, economically and with almost unlimited design flexibility. The RiModul ® lightweight steel construction systems are particularly suitable for additional storeys, extensions and, as in the case of Coop, room-in-room constructions. It also makes sense to use it as an external wall system for infilling in hybrid buildings.
In individual parts, prefabricated or pre-assembled Customers can choose from three pre-production stages according to which delivery should take place. You order RiModul ® flat if you want the individual parts and want to assemble them yourself. The profiles are numbered after processing and delivered bundled for each wall or ceiling element. With the help of an assembly plan, they can be easily assembled on the construction site or in an interim storage facility. With RiModul ® frame, the profiles are pre-assembled into frame elements in the production plant and delivered to the construction site. Planking and insulation are then carried out on site. Finally, with RiModul ® frameX, the frame elements are already planked with high-quality panels. It is advisable to make the choice of the degree of prefabrication specific to the property and already in the planning phase. Rigips designs the project in 3D based on the customer's plans and creates static dimensions and measurements. This includes, in particular, the definition of the connection and knot technology for the cold-formed steel structure. The plans for production in the factory are created on the basis of these documents.
The four existing main buildings and other auxiliary buildings in the Läbespark retirement home in Biberist are getting on in years: they were built between 1969 and 1995. In order to improve the quality of life for around 100 residents, the cooperative had a refurbishment project drawn up. Phalt Architekten AG, Wam Planer und Ingenieure AG and Neuland ArchitekturLandschaft GmbH were commissioned for this. A committee consisting of representatives of the Biberist community, the responsible cooperative and various experts accompanied the process.
The alignment project forms the basis for the design plan process and the further project elaboration. The oldest house at Blümlisalpstrasse 12 will be replaced by a new building. The height of this is based on the existing building. Compact small apartments based on the Bonacasa building standard are planned. The 1.5 to 3.5 room apartments will have a wet room with a laundry tower and a loggia facing the park-like inner courtyard. A reduit complements the larger apartments. «The existing restaurant / café Pintli will move into the new building. To do this, we are revitalizing the premises of the former Pintli with commercial and service uses, ”says Ronny Fluri from Bonainvest AG, which takes on the building owner function for the cooperative. A common room is also planned, which should also promote social contact among the residents. The new building will have a parking garage.
So the previous parking lot can give way to a piazza. “We are thus creating another meeting zone and upgrading the area. Our green park with a small pond will have a herb garden, more seating and various exercise elements that are intended to provide incentives for the residents, ”explains Fluri. The surrounding quarter will be better networked by footpaths. But there is still one problem to be solved: “The building that is being replaced has heating for two more houses. We would like to work with geothermal probes in the future. However, various investigations are still ongoing, ”says Fluri. When this has happened, the other buildings can at least be refurbished in terms of energy. There is still some time until construction begins: work is scheduled to start in 2023. The new building should be ready for occupancy at the end of 2024.
In three consecutive winters, the Solothurn outdoor pool is transformed into a construction site. In the first winter, 2019/20, the sports pool at Badi Solothurn was renovated. In the second and third winter, it is the turn of the outdoor swimming pool to be built.
The two stages of renovation of the buildings were preceded by a municipal council decision, a municipal assembly decision and a referendum. In the latter case, the people approved the restructuring loan of 7.8 million francs in February 2020 with 86.7 percent yes-votes.
The renovation is intended to remedy safety deficiencies, the swimming pool is to be made more accessible, processes are to be optimized and visitor flows are to be unbundled, and there should be more showers and toilets. Overall, the outdoor pool should offer guests more comfort after the renovation. Since it is a listed building, the visible changes must be subtle.
With the start of the 2021 bathing season in mid-May, the first phase of renovation in the Solothurn outdoor pool was completed. In this first phase of renovation, underground technical work was the main task. The building structure was repaired and safety deficiencies were corrected. In addition, the northern parts of the extension from 1964, where the entrance area and cloakrooms are located, were renewed in this phase. The construction of new showers and a new cloakroom area also started, which will continue in the second stage.
The second stage of the building construction will begin this year after the end of the bathing season in September 2021. Then the southern part of the extension building with a restaurant, kiosk, cloakrooms, showers and toilets will be renewed. A new lift will enable people with walking difficulties to access the restaurant.
Some preparation and follow-up work may overlap with the end or the start of the bathing season. The outdoor swimming pool should always be possible. The renovated Solothurn outdoor pool is due to go into operation in mid-May 2022.
The Tschopp Holzindustrie AG is a milestone in the construction of its new sawmill at its headquarters in Buttisholz known . The civil engineering work in the saw hall area was thus completed. Now the building construction work is to begin. The building should have a length of 125 meters, a width of 50 meters and a height of 20 meters.
The new sawmill is scheduled to start operations in spring 2023. Tschopp Holzindustrie is investing a total of 75 million francs in the expansion. It is the largest investment in the company's 100-year history to date.
Tschopp Holzindustrie specializes in the production of formwork panels for the construction industry. Since 2005, pellets have been produced from the waste wood for the energy industry. After the new sawmill has gone into operation, timber construction companies will also be offered products that have not yet been manufactured at home or not industrially manufactured in Germany and therefore have to be imported from abroad, such as three-layer natural wood panels.
According to a release from UBS , the UBS Swiss Real Estate Bubble Index, which is compiled every quarter by the Zurich-based bank, rose from 1.78 to 1.90 points in the second quarter of 2021 compared to the previous quarter. It remains in the risk zone between 1.0 and 2.0 points, explain the analysts of the Zurich big bank in the announcement. As drivers, they have seen sustained high price increases for home prices and accelerated growth in household debt for home purchase.
Specifically, house prices in the quarter under review were an average of 5.4 percent higher than in the same period of the previous year. Mortgage volumes rose by almost 3 percent over the same period. Here an acceleration of the increase "should be interpreted as a clear warning signal", the analysts write.
In contrast, the analysts recorded a year-on-year decline of 3.2 percent in asking rents. According to them, the unbroken high demand for residential property for the purpose of renting is primarily due to the expectation of further increases in prices on the residential property market. In individual regions in the cantons of Geneva and Zurich, the analysts have already identified a risk of overheating.
In general, "the imbalances in the home market" are likely to be "significantly higher than before the crisis" after the effects of the pandemic have been overcome, they predict in the press release. At the same time, they assume that the economic recovery will prevent the index from rising into the bubble zone starting at 2 points.
An important milestone was reached this week at the Holcim cement plant in Siggenthal. After several years of research, the special drone from the Zurich start-up Voliro carried out its first official measurement flight campaign there. According to a press release, important measurements were taken to determine the steel wall thicknesses of the cement kiln and the cyclone preheater.
Voliro, a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ( ETH ), specializes in the development of flying robots for the inspection and maintenance of industrial plants. Your drones can be equipped with different sensors and carry out visual as well as thermal and contact-based measurements. A special feature of the drones is that they can rotate around all axes thanks to a special rotor system, which allows them to maneuver in vertical positions and even upside down. Thanks to the 360-degree design, they are also suitable for use when taking measurements on curved and inclined surfaces.
According to the press release, the use of such special drones at great heights is considered a world first. The method saved both time and money. The use of drones also increases work safety.
According to the information, Holcim has been accompanying Voliro's product development since 2019. The global cement company from Zug is making its infrastructure in Siggenthal available to the start-up for test flights and supporting it with its specialist knowledge.
Lucas Buschauer has received recognition from the Swiss Association of Engineers and Architects ( SIA) for his semester thesis. This has the technical college Grisons now informed . The graduate of architecture studies at the University of Applied Sciences in Graubünden is planning a revival as a brewery for some unused Crotti in Bondo in Graubünden.
The SIA specialist group for the preservation of buildings awards diploma and semester theses throughout Switzerland that present outstanding concepts for the exemplary handling of existing buildings and their preservation. This year a total of eleven works were selected.
Buschauer's semester thesis provides for the renewed use of some Crotti that were spared from the landslide in 2017. These little houses on the shady hillside were once used as natural refrigerators. He wants to convert it into a brewery and a meeting place for the village. Different uses are planned for the individual Crotti. For example, the first crotto would catch the spring water flowing by, and two more would be converted into malthouses. Four of these crotti are intended for the brewing process. He has also planned an inn and a master brewer's apartment.
"Lucas Buschauer's semester thesis impresses with its careful research, a captivating concept idea, which was implemented carefully and in detail and is presented convincingly," said the jury's explanation. As head of the study Christian Auer emphasizes, in addition to the architectural design, “the clarification of constructive and economic issues is one of the educational objectives of our architecture course. It was precisely this know-how that was required for this task. I am very pleased that the Graubünden University of Applied Sciences is competitive throughout Switzerland with its range of courses. "
The Wydeneck was a closed area for over 100 years and was used exclusively by the "Schweizerische Metallwerke AG Dornach" for metal processing. Swissmetal still produces today and uses around half of the area. Small craft businesses and manufacturing SMEs also work.
In 2015, Hiag acquired the area in Dornach and began planning its future use. In close cooperation with the canton and municipality, the owner developed a coherent basis for the transformation of Wydeneck. The leading office for the test planning process was the Zurich urban planning office Feddersen & Klostermann in collaboration with Brühlmann Loetscher. 90 interested residents brought their wishes and suggestions into the planning process during a two-day participation process. On this basis, the master plan was drawn up and approved by the municipal council in 2018. In this context, the new name was also announced: Wydeneck – Metalli im Wandel.
The area-specific sub-zone plan revision and the development of a sustainable mobility concept are currently on the agenda. Central topics are the development of the quarter with a bus line, its own S-Bahn stop and the integration of the feeder to the A18 motorway. Building land is to be re-zoned along the Birs and the river basin is to be revitalized.
The opening of the aeral will initially take place through transitional uses. This creates space for business, leisure and culture. The offers are intended to attract customers and visitors. With the start of the first construction phase, these uses will be successively replaced or relocated. Several hundred apartments as well as commercial and service-oriented offers will be built in the next 20 to 25 years. Some of the existing historical buildings will be renovated and will remain as a contemporary witness of industrial history.
The Wydeneck is to become a lively, mixed and urban district. Around 1,800 residents and a wide range of commercial and service offerings with up to 400 jobs are planned. The publicly accessible riverside park and the preservation of the historical substance also ensure the special flair.
An open day will take place on September 4th to mark the opening of the KREIS House . From 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., the Synergy Village in Feldbach, on which the research project of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ( ZHAW ) is located, is accessible to all interested parties. You can try out the construction techniques of the KREIS house yourself. There will also be a market with sustainable local products.
Efficient resource-to build the climate and sufficiency building was in May this year started . With this project, the ZHAW Department of Life Sciences and Facility Management ( LSFM ) wants to show how circular economy can be implemented on a reduced living space of 40 square meters. As the ZHAW writes in its invitation, everything in this house is in circulation – from the building materials to the nutrients from the wastewater for fertilizing the roof garden.
Research is constantly developing new, recyclable technologies, materials and concepts for use in buildings, according to the LSFM project description. But the path from basic research to broad application is a long one. Therefore, the KREIS house is providing a room to try out these new technologies and materials. With their feedback, visitors contribute to improving it.
In future, the ZHAW will be offering regular visits. They can be viewed online, as can dates for regular workshops on specific cycle issues. The overnight stays in the KREIS Haus are currently fully booked. The LSFM is also available for individual and cycle-oriented construction advice.
The Institute for Spatial Development (IRAP) of the OST – Ostschweizer Fachhochschule has published a free step-by-step guide for questions about redensification in small communities. It is intended to support communities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants to prepare their own settlement strategy, according to a media release .
A total of 95 percent of the municipalities in Switzerland have fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. The correspondingly small administrations often do not employ any specialist staff for spatial planning. According to a press release, this means that nobody cares about high-quality settlement densification. Since the revision of the Spatial Planning Act 2014, however, localities have only been allowed to develop within their existing area in order to prevent urban sprawl.
The free guide of the IRAP is intended to give you a start. The paper comprises seven chapters on 40 pages and is intended to answer questions such as "how much growth can our community expect?", "Where in our building zones makes the most sense of densification?" And "how do we launch these projects?".
"With this methodology, qualified spatial planners should be able to work out an interior development strategy for the entire municipality within a maximum of 200 to 300 hours for communities with up to 10,000 inhabitants, and thus for less than CHF 50,000" -Professor Andreas Schneider quoted in the press release.
The complete method manual is available online for download free of charge.
In mid-2012, Hiag acquired the premises of the former paper mill in Biberist. The area with around 277,000 m² of industrial space was used for paper production for a good 150 years. Accordingly, it is very well anchored as an industrial location in the region and is considered a development area of cantonal importance. The area is strategically located along the A1 and A5, between the metropolitan areas of Zurich, Basel and Bassin lémanique. Within the Solothurn industrial cluster, the Papieri area benefits from the networking with numerous companies and research institutions as well as a unique, high-performance infrastructure on the area. In addition to the largely commercial-industrial use, places are to be created on the area where work, culture and leisure uses as well as living can be found.
The Papieri area is ideally located and should become a destination in the suburban country.
Revitalization of the area In cooperation with the municipality and the canton, work is being carried out on the transition to a binding sub-zone plan: "The sub-zone plan is currently being revised, which will encompass the entire area perimeter," says the responsible site developer Michele Muccioli to Immo! Nvest. “We expect 12 to 18 months before the zoning plan becomes legally binding. After three complete lines of paper machines have been sold in the past few years, the remaining lines are currently being sold. In addition, the settlement and provision of usable space will continue to be promoted. " Around 20 companies are currently located on the site, and around 120 people have their workplaces on the paper. Companies from a wide variety of areas are located here. The next step is the partial opening of the area in the area of the Biberist Ost train station. The aim is to activate and revitalize the area. According to Muccioli, this is now possible because the sales and dismantling of the large machines have now been completed.
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